Arizona Sun Corridor

Arizona Sun Corridor
Megaregion of the U.S.
Counter Clock-wise from Top: Downtown Phoenix skyline, Downtown Tucson, Mesa City Hall
Phoenix
Tucson
Sierra Vista
Casa Grande
Nogales
Prescott
Selected cities of the Arizona Sun Corridor
Coordinates: 33°N 112°W / 33°N 112°W / 33; -112Coordinates: 33°N 112°W / 33°N 112°W / 33; -112
Country USA
State Arizona
Population (2010)
 • Total 5,517,131
 • Rank 10th
 • 2025 Projection 7,764,211
 • 2050 Projection 12,319,771
  [1]

The Arizona Sun Corridor, shortened Sun Corridor, is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of Arizona. The Sun Corridor is equivalent to Indiana in both size and population. It is one of the fastest growing conurbations in the country and is speculated to double its population by 2040.[2] The largest metropolitan areas are the Phoenix metropolitan area - Valley of the Sun - and the Tucson metropolitan area. The regions' populace is nestled in the valley of a desert environment.[2] Similar to Southern California, the urban area extends into Mexico, reaching the communities of Nogales and Agua Prieta.[2]

Its population is composed of a total of five metropolitan areas: Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, Sierra Vista-Douglas[3] and Nogales. Out of these, two are metropolitan areas with over 1,000,000 residents: the Phoenix metropolitan area with 4,192,887 residents and the Tucson metropolitan area with 1,020,200 residents. The Arizona Sun Corridor is made up of all of Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties, along with parts of Yavapai, Santa Cruz and Cochise counties.[4] It is home to over 86 percent of Arizona's population.

The Megaregion has an area a population that is about the same as the state of Indiana (About 5.6 million people), and it is expected to grow to nearly 7.8 million by 2025. By 2050, it is projected to grow to more than twice its original size (12.3 million, about 118% growth and 6.66 million additional people). It comprises about 2% of the population of the entire United States, and it makes up about the same proportion of the total GDP, with an output of $191,036,000,000 in 2005.

Most of the Arizona Sun Corridor is in the Sonoran Desert; to the south of the region is the border between the United States and Mexico, and to the east is the Arizona transition zone and the Mountains of Arizona. The Southern California Megaregion is to west and is the nearest other Megaregion to the Arizona Sun Corridor.

Extent

The Arizona Sun Corridor lies in the American Southwest.
Map of the Arizona Sun Corridor, showing each county in the Sun Corridor, as well as their cities, towns, and CPDs. The largest community in each county is highlighted in red.


The Arizona Sun Corridor lies in the American Southwest, about halfway between the Southern California and Front Range Megaregions. It is shown on the map in deep blue.

Below is a table listing all communities of the Arizona Sun Corridor with a population of at least 10,000 residents.

Name Type[5] County Population
(2010)[6]		 Area (2010)[7] Population density (2010)[7]
sq mi km2 /sq mi /km2
Anthem CPD Maricopa 21,700
Apache Junction City Pinal 35,840 35.00 90.6 1,024.2 395.4
Arizona City CPD Pinal 10,475
Avondale City Maricopa 76,238 45.65 118.2 1,672.0 645.6
Buckeye City Maricopa 50,876 375.39 972.3 135.6 52.4
Camp Verde Town Yavapai 10,873 43.15 111.8 252.0 97.3
Casa Grande City Pinal 48,571 109.67 284.0 442.9 171.0
Casas Adobes CPD Pima 66,795
Catalina Foothills CPD Pima 50,796
Chandler City Maricopa 236,123 64.52 167.1 3,665.8 1,415.4
Chino Valley Town Yavapai 10,817 63.43 164.3 170.7 65.9
Coolidge City Pinal 11,825 56.58 146.5 209.3 80.8
Cottonwood City Yavapai 11,265 16.41 42.5 686.5 265.1
Douglas City Cochise 17,378 9.98 25.8 1,741.0 672.2
Drexel Heights CPD Pima 27,749
El Mirage City Maricopa 31,797 10.09 26.1 3,170.7 1,224.2
Eloy City Pinal 16,631 111.57 289.0 149.1 57.6
Florence Town Pinal 25,536 52.49 135.9 486.9 188.0
Flowing Wells CPD Pima 16,419
Fountain Hills Town Maricopa 22,489 20.42 52.9 1,106.2 427.1
Gilbert Town Maricopa 208,453 68.15 176.5 3,067.2 1,184.3
Glendale City Maricopa 226,721 60.13 155.7 3,780.2 1,459.5
Gold Canyon CPD Pinal 10,159
Goodyear City Maricopa 65,275 191.52 496.0 340.9 131.6
Green Valley CPD Pima 21,391
Marana Town Pima 34,961 122.20 316.5 287.8 111.1
Maricopa City Pinal 43,482 47.57 123.2 916.0 353.7
Mesa City Maricopa 439,041 137.06 355.0 3,217.5 1,242.3
New River CPD Maricopa 14,952
Nogales City Santa Cruz 20,837 20.84 54.0 1,001.0 386.5
Oro Valley Town Pima 41,011 35.64 92.3 1,154.3 445.7
Paradise Valley Town Maricopa 12,820 15.46 40.0 830.9 320.8
Peoria City Maricopa 154,065 177.97 460.9 883.4 341.1
Phoenix City Maricopa 1,445,632 517.95 1,341.5 2,797.8 1,080.2
Prescott City Yavapai 39,843 41.58 107.7 963.8 372.1
Prescott Valley Town Yavapai 38,822 38.65 100.1 1,004.4 387.8
Queen Creek Town Maricopa 26,361 28.07 72.7 940.1 363.0
Rio Rico CPD Santa Cruz 18,962
San Tan Valley CPD Pinal 81,321
Sahuarita Town Pima 25,259 31.04 80.4 813.8 314.2
Scottsdale City Maricopa 217,385 184.40 477.6 1,182.0 456.4
Sedona City Yavapai 10,031 19.18 49.7 524.1 202.4
Sierra Vista City Cochise 43,888 152.54 395.1 288.2 111.3
Sierra Vista Southeast CPD Cochise 14,797
Sun City CPD Maricopa 37,499
Sun City West CPD Maricopa 24,535
Sun Lakes CPD Maricopa 13,975
Surprise City Maricopa 117,517 105.87 274.2 1,111.3 429.1
Tanque Verde CPD Pima 16,901
Tempe City Maricopa 161,719 40.19 104.1 4,050.1 1,563.8
Tucson City Pima 520,116 227.03 588.0 2,294.2 885.8
Tucson Estates CPD Pima 12,192
Vail CPD Pima 10,208
Verde Village CPD Yavapai 11,605

Transportation

Road

Intercity in the region is provided by the I-8, I-10, I-17, and I-19 freeways, as well as US 60, SR 87, SR 90, and SR 77, among other surface highways.

Phoenix area arterials are set up in a grid pattern, which helps simplify transportation within the region. Tucson's streets have a similar system.

Rail

Amtrak's Sunset Limited operates three times a week, connecting Maricopa, Arizona and Tucson. There is no other intercity rail in the region; however a high-speed rail corridor is also being studied between Phoenix and Tucson.[8]

Intracity rail systems include the Valley Metro Rail, which operates within the Phoenix metropolitan area, connecting Uptown and Downtown Phoenix with Tempe and Mesa, and Tucson's Sun Link streetcar system, which links Downtown Tucson and the Mercado district to the University of Arizona.

Air

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Tucson International Airport provide air transportation to the region, from both within the country and from a few foreign countries, among other smaller airports, which focus on regional air traffic from nearby. Recently, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, previously being a military base, has also become an option for low-cost carriers to fly into the Phoenix area as well.

US Airways, now owned by Fort Worth company American Airlines, was once headquartered and based in Tempe, which is in the Phoenix Valley. However, American Airlines maintains a strong presence in the state due to the history with US Airways.

References

  1. ↑ http://www.america2050.org/arizona_sun_corridor.html
  2. 1 2 3 "Arizona Sun Corridor". America 2050. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  3. ↑ Arizona Has a New Metropolitan Area: Sierra Vista-Douglas 1-14-14.
  4. ↑ "Maps - America2050". America 2050. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  5. ↑ "About the League: Member Cities and Towns". Arizona League of Cities and Towns. Archived from the original on 2012-02-14. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  6. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Arizona". United States Census Bureau. 2009-07-07. Archived from the original on 2009-07-10. Retrieved 2009-07-21.
  7. 1 2 "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - State -- Place, 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-05-02.
  8. ↑ http://www.azdot.gov/planning/CurrentStudies/PassengerRail/overview
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